VTech DM111 DECT Baby Monitor Review
If you’re looking for a simple and affordable audio baby monitor, the VTech DM111 is your best option. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that some of the more premium baby monitors offer. But it delivers with excellence on what it’s set up to do. Overall, we like the simplicity of the VTech DECT digital baby monitor offering. You can't beat its value for money.
For less than $20, this is a very attractive package. There are a few cheaper models available, but we wouldn’t recommend them.
Continue reading our review of the VTech DM111 for the in-depth results.
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Price: $19.99 $24.99
Summary
We Like
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Very easy to use
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Reliable and consistent
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Great product for less than $20
We Don't Like
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Very few features compared to other more premium baby monitors we have tested
Where to Buy It
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Alternatives
- The Nanit Smart Camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with improved video quality and insights to help improve your baby sleep ($199.99 on Amazon).
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The Nanit Plus version if you want a HD high definition version of the Nanit ($224.00 on Amazon)
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The Infant Optics DXR-8 is the best baby video monitor if you don’t need the Wifi connection ($165.99 on Amazon).
-
The iBaby Care M7 if you want the next best Wifi baby monitor at a more affordable price with similar features minus the data-driven insights ($168.86 on Amazon).
-
The Angelcare AC517 if you want a more comprehensive package with breathing and movement monitoring and a larger display ($157.96 on Amazon).
Overview VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor
Health & Safety
9/10
Audio Quality
8/10
Privacy
9/10
Video Quality
9/10
Range
9/10
Battery
9/10
Features VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor
Infrared Night Vision
NO
Play Lullabies
NO
Remote Zoom
NO
VOX
YES
Room temperature
NO
Night Lights
NO
Multiple Cameras
NO
Humidity
NO
Video Recording
NO
Two-Way Talk
YES
Remote Pan & Tilt
NO
Our Hands-on Review of VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor
The VTech DM111 sets itself to do one thing: give you peace of mind with an audio baby monitor for an affordable price. We’re glad to report that it does it admirably well. The audio quality is great, the range is enough to cover your entire home, and it’s currently on Amazon for less than $20.
Now of course, for that price you don’t get a video signal, two-way communication, nor any of the extra features that the best baby monitors in 2019 have to offer. But if you’re looking for a simple and reliable package at an affordable price, the VTech DM111 is for you.
Audio Quality
The audio quality with the VTech DM111 is great. It uses a DECT 6.0 signal to provide a crystal clear transmission, eliminating potential white noise from other devices around your home. The parent unit has five little lights on top to tell you if your baby is crying while your monitor is on mute.
Ease of Use
With the VTech DM111, it’s really just a plug-and-play affair. Plugin the power cable in the baby unit, insert two AAA alkaline batteries (sold separately) in the parent unit, turn on everything and you’re good to go. You can also purchase a package with two parent units on Amazon if you need them.
The parent unit has a convenient clip at the back to attach it to your belt while you’re walking around your house or garden. It will automatically start ringing if you’re getting too far from your baby monitor and risk losing signal, or if the battering is getting low.
Security: VTech DM111 Baby Monitor hacking
Because the Infant VTech DM111 uses an encrypted FHSS radio signal, risks of hacking and security breach are minimal. It’s impossible for someone to hack into the Infant VTech via your Wifi connection, they would need to be within signal range. They would also need to be able to decrypt the secured signal.
VTech DM111 Health and Safety
The VTech DM111 baby unit connects to its parent unit through a wireless 1.9GHz DECT 6.0 connection. It means that an electromagnetic field (EMF) will be constantly emitted from the baby’s unit to the parent’s unit in order for you to receive an audio feed. We recommend that you read our future article on electromagnetic field if you want to understand what it means in terms of health and safety for your baby.
In our testing, the Infant VTech DM111 produced a relatively low EMF reading as it only needs to send audio. You should still aim at keeping the baby unit at least 6 foot / 1.8 meters away from our baby’s bed. This is the minimum approximate distance for most baby monitors. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you limit your exposure to 0.5 mG to 2.5 mG at a time, so this is within range. The further you place the monitor from your baby, the less EMF they will be exposed to.
Note that the parent monitor also emits EMFs. Most parent will sleep with the unit on their bedside table, but we recommend you move it further away.
Battery Life
In our testing, the battery life on the VTech DM111 was acceptable. It will easily last through the night with a standby time of 10 hours. During our testing, the talk time is approximately 2 hours before running out of juice. We have seen the more premium baby monitors perform better on the battery life test.
Wireless Range
The range of the VTech DM111 was good. We managed to get up to 180m before hearing the out of range warning from the baby monitor. This range is sufficient for most modern home usage, but you may want to account for structural walls within your home. These walls reduce the range of your baby monitor.
VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor: What's in the box
Wondering what’s in the box? Here’s everything that will be included in the VTech DM111 baby monitor package:
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1 x Baby unit
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1 x Parent unit
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2 x Power Cords
VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor Price
VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor iOS and Android Mobile App
The VTech DM111 is a basic audio baby monitor and does not use an app
Alternative Options
- The Nanit Smart Camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with improved video quality and insights to help improve your baby sleep ($199.99 on Amazon).
-
The Nanit Plus version if you want a HD high definition version of the Nanit ($224.00 on Amazon)
-
The Infant Optics DXR-8 is the best baby video monitor if you don’t need the Wifi connection ($165.99 on Amazon).
-
The iBaby Care M7 if you want the next best Wifi baby monitor at a more affordable price with similar features minus the data-driven insights ($168.86 on Amazon).
-
The Angelcare AC517 if you want a more comprehensive package with breathing and movement monitoring and a larger display ($157.96 on Amazon).
VTech DM111 DECT Baby Monitor: Most Frequently Asked Questions
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Question: Can I talk to my baby through the device?
Answer: No. The VTech DM111 does not offer two-way communication.
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Question: Can I use the VTech DM111 with multiple parent units?
Answer: Yes. Up to two parent units can be connected to the baby monitor.
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Question: Can the baby monitor be powered by batteries?
Answer: No. Only the parent unit of the VTech DM111 uses batteries, the baby monitor will need to be plugged in at all times.
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Question: What is the VTech DM111 baby monitor warranty?
Answer: The DM111 comes with a standard one year warranty. We recommend you contact VTech if you experience any issue with your model after purchase. You can call them during normal office hours or email their customer support team.
Model reviewed: VTech DM111 DECT Digital Audio Baby Monitor
Our rating: 8.5 / 10
Summary: The Owlet Smart Sock 2 tracks your baby’s health more accurately than a video monitor. It is very helpful if you have reasons to be worried about your baby’s heartbeat or oxygen level. But the smart sock lacks some of the advantages that a video monitor can give you, such as making sure that your baby isn’t jumping out of bed or crying through the night.
Reviewed by: Emilia Hart
Last updated: February 1, 2019
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